Negombo is the first main town on the way to Colombo from the Bandaranaike International Airport and as such has quite a lot of tourist traffic going through. That turned the town into the quintessential beach town complete with swanky road sidebars and cafés. But there’s much more to Negombo if only you care to look.

Image by: Nimanka Mahesh via wikimedia commons | CC0

Main Fish Market

Negombo is famous as a cornerstone fishing industry and almost all of the locals are involved in it. The catches at the market are brought in fresh every morning and auctioned off at the market. Well worth a visit.

Negombo Beach

Staying at a Negombo beach hotel means you will have direct access to the beautiful Negombo beaches that seem to go on for miles. Take your pick among tasteful resorts such as Heritance Negombo.

Hamilton Canal

The Dutch were responsible for the complex canal network in Sri Lanka. The canals in Negombo can be explored by bike and makes for a great date for you and your significant other.

Dutch Fort

The ruins of the Dutch Fort in Negombo was constructed in 1678. There is also a massive green where cricket matches were played during the British colonial times. The fort is now the prisons.